GETTING THERE
Brussels – 110km (1h 20min)
Antwerp – 110km (1h 20min)
Maastricht (Netherlands) – 6km (10min)
There are 8 different marked loops in the area, and therefore several different starting points. I suggest to start at Pietersheim by looking up P1 Pietersheim-Kinderboerderij. This is free parking lot, there is free public toilet and restaurant, children playground etc. It will be likely very busy during weekend.
TRAIL NAVIGATION
At the trail head at Pietersheim, there is map available.
There are several trails available, all loops and you can combine them together, they are well posted in both directions. Each loop has different marking and it is very easy to follow without any further navigation.
I have combined several trails together and ended up making large loop of 22km.
More information HERE
Detailed maps HERE
TRAIL DETAILS
Although there are several loops you can choose from. The trail is all mostly flat and very easy to complete. Almost no road walking, mostly on dirt paths, depending on the loop, there is of course also little bit of road, board walk and trail in sand.
There are few points of interest along the way especially in the Pietersheim area, where you have small animal zoo, castle etc, but the rest of the area is also beautiful, in the upper part of the area around the purple loop there are sand dunes with cattle and some viewing points.
If you are up for it, I really recommend doing larger loops by combining several trails together. The map at the trail head also point out the points of interest, which should help you choose your route.
Tree coverage: Large portion of the trail is under trees, so can be done also on very sunny day.
Geocaching: There are some geocaches on this trail and one Adventure lab in Pietersheim area.
Dogs: It is possible to do some of the loops with your dog. Some loops go through sand dunes/cow pastures and dogs are not allowed there, so you might need to adjust your route.
FACILITIES
There are facilities at the Pietersheim area, free clean public toilets and restaurant. There are no further facilities on the trail.
I completed this hike in October 2023. Mild weather, warm but cloudy, no wind. I went during week and it has been slightly busy around Pietersheim area, the rest of the trail was relatively quiet. I expect it will be extremely busy during weekend, especially if the weather is nice.
